Machine gun and similar weapon



H. P. MARTIN AND 0. n. LUCAS. MACHINE GUN AND SIMILAR WEAPON.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT, I5, I920.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

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H, P. MARTIN ANDO. 0. LUCAS.-

MACHINE GUN AND SIMILAR WEAPON.

APPLICATION'HLED SEPT. 15, 1920.

1A12,252 Pat nted Apr. 11, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

P i ht? HELMUTI-I PAUL MARTIN AND OWEN DAVID LUCAS, or. WESTMINSTER, LoNnoN, ENG- vLAND, ASSIGNORS TO M. L. EXPERIMENTAL LIMITED, or WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

MACHINE GUN AND SIMILAR WEAPON.

Speeiiicationof Letters Patent. Patgnted A .11, 1922,

Application filed. Se te ber 15, 1920. Serial No. 410,543. (GRANTED UNDER THE rnovisrons OF THE Acror Martens, 1921, 41 srar. n, 1312.

To all whomc't may} concern:

Be it known that we, HELMUTH PAUL MARTIN and OWEN DAVID LUCAS, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster,

in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machine Guns andSimilarVVeapons, for which we have filed applications in Great. Britain Mar; 2 1, 1916, Patent #124,777, Apr. 7,1916, Patent #124,802, Mar. 24', 1916, Patent #127,038, and July 30, 1917, Patent #128,308, and in France Feb. 6, 1918, Patent #4E96,195, and of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatestO the control of machine guns and similar weapons firing electrically detonated ammunition and has for its object to provide improved means for controlling-the period of firing of machine guns. The invention is particularly applicable to aeroplanes orairships iii-which the gun is fired between the blades of the propeller.

According to this invention a gunis used which fires electrically detonated ammunition and which is intended to be fired between the propeller blades in combination with means for electrically controlling the period or instant of firing in accordance with the movement of the propeller. 7

As an example in an automatic gun, the following devices may be employed in combination:

(a) An electrically operated detonator the cartridge; I

(b) An electric contact arranged in the breech mechanism or associated with this mechanism and adapted to be put in circuit when the breech is closed, or bythe final closing movement of the breech. (0) An electric circuit or circuits including th detonator or the breech contact, or else the detonator and the breech contact, and a firing interrupter switch by meansot which firing proceeds every time the breech block is locked. i I A commutator, or a generator situated on or associated with the engine orlthe propeller, and provided with a make and break device which controls the. electric circuit of the gun, the timing oi. the commuof fire.

It will also be seen that a similar controlling mechanism may be applied to non-automatic guns which fire ammunition provided with'electric detonators.

It is to be understood that all automatic or repeating guns areincluded in the term machine guns or similar weapons.

If desired the necessary lag may be provided on the commutator to allow for the intervalof time between the moment when the electric circuit is closed and that when the bullet reaches the plane 01": the propeller; this lag maybe automatically increased or decreased in accordance with the speed of the engine, for example by .means of a governing idevice 'operatingupon the switch memb'er of the commutator;

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which r p i Figure 1 is a diagrammatic'view which shows an .arrangementof the electric circuits but in which the commutator is not shown.

Figure 2 shows a modified arrangement of the circuits ofFigure 1.

. Figure 3 is another diagrammatic view showing an arrangement of the electric circuits .when a commutator is employed.

' Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a section and an end view representing the improved construction of a cartridge provided with an electric deto'n ator.,

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the connections whichenable the detonation to 'be efiected by means of a metal wire which is'heated' and intended to be employed vwithav cartridgesuch as that described in the specifications of British Patents Nos. 124782 and 128298 ,1 rig reee to 11 show a construction of ,breech mechanism as applied to a Lewis gun and intended for use in the present invention.

I ing from the right.

Figure 8 is a section of the piston rod and of the improved modification of the latter.

Figure 8 is a transverse section.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the right hand end of Figure .8. j

Figure 10 is a sectional end view of Figure 9, and

Figure llis an end view of Figure 9.

Figures 12 to shew a construction for converting an existing machine gun into one for firing electrically detonated cartridges;

Figure 12 is a part section through the bolt of a Lewis gun with'the easing partly removed,

Figure 13 is a part section in plan shewing the cooking handle with its insulated spring and contact and the fixed contact on the slide. Y

Figure 14L shews an alternative form of insulated striker.

\ pin (2. The contact closed by the vbreech.

of current is designated by g.

Figure 15 shews an alternative method in which one insulated plunger is carried at the forward end of the bolt and a modified str'iiker carried in the socket of the piston ro Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a is a cartridge provided with a detonator a (see Figures 4 and 5) operated electrically and fired by an electric circuit closed by the contact mechanism of the gun is designated by. 0, 0, this contact forming part of the primary or the secondary circuit. The firing switch is designated by p and the battery or course A trembler coil of suit-able type is designated by s. In Figure 1 the breech contact 0, 0, is in the primary circuit and, in Figure 2; it is in the secondary circuit. V When a magneto is used, it may be connected directly to the propelling engine or to the propeller, and it may furnish the current necessary for ignition and itself contain the commutator.

Figure 3 shows an arrangement of circuits in which a commutator 7) is associated with the propeller 02 and is so arranged that the circuit is'broken by' the insulated segments b when one of the propeller blades is in line with the gun the position of which is indicated by the cartridge a. A supplementary contact o ensures a-double make and break in order to avoid the striker pin becoming alive before the breech is closed..

The working ofthe gun-Will be readily understood from the preceding description and we will now proceed to describe one construction of cartridge and the improved breech mechanism suitable for carrying out the invention, 7

7 Referring to Figures 4 and 5, which show the improved cartridge, this is provided in place of the'ordinary percussion cap, with a detonator which is operated electrically and which is constituted by a plug 0 of vulcanite or other suitable insulating material which occupies the space in which the percussion cap is ordinarily inserted. The detonator is provided with a central metal pin cl and its inner face is made concave or hollow so as to close'the circuit when the breech is closed. 7

The electric current may be furnished either by a magneto or by an accumulator and a trembler coil or other suitable device. The control of this circuit may be obtained by a push button or by a switch. of any other form. 'It will be noticed that the normal period of the gun is in no way interfered with, as after the passage of the spark and the firing of the cartridge the gun takes its normal time to recoil and close the breech again.

the gun is maintained'in the closed position until the electric circuit is established; it also continues to fire at the normal speed as long as the electric circuitremains closed.

In Figure 5* is shown the connections in the case of a cartridge ignited by a heated. metal wire. 7 v

Referring to. Figures 6 to 11, the front end of the bolt f, through which the striker normally works, is lined in a suitable manner by means of an insulating material 9. A. steel tube (Z is connected rigidly to the guide ring 72- situated at the rearof the bolt. This tube is sufficiently long to pass, through a hole made in the spade" grip 7' when the bolt is in its forward position. The tube 1' is mountedconcentrically with the of the 7 bolt 7 and movesbackwards and forwards with it. The tube 2' is lined with hard fibre or some other suitable insulating material 9 which projects for about half an inch or more beyond the tube at the. rear end 'be yond the gun as shown at 5 This lining is continued forward through: tl1e guide ring so as to meet the insulating lining in the forward end of the bolt f. The axisot this insulating material is drilled out for its entire length and contains a long steel .rod is the diameter of which is reduced tocentre of the bolt, comes opposite the aforesaid detonator pin cZ mounted in the cartridge (see Figures 4- and The iston rod Z of the gun (see Figures 8 and 8 has its striker and the mounting for the same removed and has fitted to it a tubular rearward extension m passing through a hole 7' 'in the spade grip and carrying on its outer end a spring plunger 9% carefully insulated from the tube m by the non-conducting'material g. This plunger is situated in such a position that its axis is in line with that of the steel rod which is. contained in the interior of the extension on the bolt f. The length of the extension 771', the position of the spring plunger n and the amount/or its compression are so adjusted that when the piston rod Z has caused the bolt f to turn so as to lock it the end of the plunger 11; is situated a short distance (say approximately five eighths of an inch) from the end of the steel rod 70 in the bolt. As the piston rod or continues for the remaining inch of its forward movement, it brings the plunger into contact with the steel rod 70 and moves this plunger some three eighths of an inch; it also in the last three eighths or half of an inch of its forward movement, connects the spring plunger n to one pole of the detonator current,

the other pole being connected to any part of the gun. The breech mechanism is provided with an auxiliary contact stud ;1 arn nged on the extension of the piston rod and adapted to come into contact with an insulated spring pressed contact a mounted on the spade grip as is shown in Figures 6 and 7. The arrangement is such that the circuit is completed through the pin (Z of the detonator to the base of the cartridge (see Figures 4 and the circuit being established as shown in Figures 1, 2 or 3. It will be seen therefromthat neither the piston 92 nor the central rod 7; nor the piston red are rendered alive until the piston rod Z has caused the bolt f to turn so as to lock the breech, the two contacts a and 3/ which form a double break in the circuit being established or closed during the lastthree eighths of an inch or so of the movement of the bolt, which forms part of the movement normally used for striking the percussion cap. In order that the gun may be easily converted, in case of need, from an electrically fired gun into a gun fired in the ordinary way, the plunger n is provided with a loose saddle 1, shown in Figures 9 and 11, which when it is in place prevents this plunger from being moved. The central rod 70 passing along the axis of the bolt is always sufficiently free in this bolt, in the direction of its axis, to permit of a 'free l'orward and rearward. movement of about one sixteenth of an inch or thereabouts. Itwill be seen therefore that it the saddle is placed on the plunger as in Figure 11 so as to prevent its compression, this plunger will then strike the central rod 70 with a force which is suflicient to enable this rod to be used as a hammer so as to detonate the percussion cap of ordinary ammunition. In other words, the striker, instead of being in the interior of the bolt as at present, is removed to the rear end of the gun and acts through a loose firing rod 70 concentric with the bolt; the result of this is that the gun can be instantly converted by placing the saddle r in position, from an electrically fired gun to a gun firing ordinary ammunition. lVhen the gun is fired electrically, the ordinary trigger is held back out of operation.

Referring to Figures 12 to 15 in which A represents the bolt of a Lewis gun, the existing striker is removed, and the socket B is bushed with insulating material C, and a new striker D is fitted, adapten to move easily in the socket B and is held slightly forward, that is, towards the breech end E, by a light spring F. The whole 01": the striker D is insulated outside, except a fine point G adapted to touch the cap of the cartridge when the breech is closedand locked.

Or the forward end of the striker D may be recuced in diameter, "see Figure 12, so as not to make contact with the bolt A, the latter may have a bush H of insulating material such a gate or the like, recessed in its face, concentric with the cap or primer,

and proifided with a, central hole 5 through which the striker D passes, a clearance hole is. being provided in the metal of the bolt behind the bush so that the striker does not touch the during-i ts forward and backward travel.. A hole it is drilled through the arm N of the p ston rod (not shown) which carries the striker socket B communicating between the socket and the slot 0 into which the cocking handle l? fits, This hole M is also hushed. with an insulating tube the booking handle P itself carries an in sulatedspring S adapted to press against a small red T inserted in the hole M in the socket arm N which rod in turn presses against the portion 01 the striker D enclosed in the striker socket B, thus establishing a end and to the insulated with after the bolt is locked. In order to ensure contact between. the rod T and the striker D we may provide a permanent fierzible copper lead soldered to striker at one bush 8 at the other end. i

The spring S on the cocking handle P has an insulated tongue V projecting sidewise, see Figure 13, adapted to make contact with a fixed contact W mounted on the gun. and insulated therefrom, preferably attached to the locking slide X, and in such a position that the contact between the fixed contact V? and the one Y on the cooking handle is made at the moment that the piston rod (not shewn) has travelled its full distance after closing the breech and rotating the bolt A. This fixed contact is connected by a suitable lead to one pole of the battery or generator, the other pole being directly connected to any part of the gun. The part marked Z represents a pin with a ball shaped head.

A means may be provided whereby on reversing the cocking handle so that the spring insulated contact is downwards in respect of the socket arm, an inclined plane pushes the contact rod upwards and locks the striker so that the light spring holding it forward cannot be compressed. In this position the striker is rigid in its socket and will therefore strike the cap with sufiicient blow to detonate it by percussion in the usual way, thus instantaneously converting the un from electric to percussion firing.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination with a gun which fires electrically detonated ammunition and is'intended to be fired between the blades of a propeller, of means driven from the'engine of the propeller for electrically controlling the time of firing of the gun.

. 2. The combination with a gun which fires electrically detonated cartridges and is intended to be fired between the blades of a propeller, of an electric firing circuit for the cartridges and means driven from the engine of the propeller for controlling said circuit. I r

3. The combination with a gun which fires electrically detonated cartridges and is intended to be fired between the blades of a cartridges, means driven propeller, of an' lectric firing circuit for the cartridges and a commutator driven from the engine of the propeller for automatically controlling said circuit.

4. The combination wrth a gun which fires electrically detonated ammunition and is intended to be fired between the blades of a propeller, of a magneto driven from the engine of the propeller for providing the electric current for firing and also for controlling the time of firing of the gun.

5. The combination with a gun which fires electrically detonated cartridges and is intended to be'fired between the blades of a propeller, of an electric firing circuit for the cartridges, means driven from the engine of the propeller for automatically controlling. said circuit and means whereby lag is automatically given to the first mentioned means.

6., The combination with electrically detonated cartridges and is intended to be fired between the blades of a propeller, of an electric firing circuit for the cartridges, means driven from the engine of the propeller forautomatically controlling said circuit and a firing switch for manually controlling said circuit.

7 The combination with a gun which fires electrically detonated cartridges and is intended to be fired between the blades of a propeller, of an electric firing circuit for the cartridges, means driven from the engine of the propeller for controlling the time of firing of the gun, and an electric contact in said circuit, this contact being made each time the breech mechanism of the gun is closed and locked.

8. The combination with a gun which fires electrically detonated cartridges and is intended to be fired between the blades of a propeller, of an electric firing circuit for the from the engine of the propellerfor automatically controlling the time of firing of thegun, an electric con tact in said circuit, this contact being made each time the breech mechanism of the gun is closed and locked, and a firing switch for manually controlling said circuit.

In testimony whereof,we have hereunto afiixed our signatures.

HELMUTH PAUL MARTIN. OWEN DAVID LUCAS.

a gun which fires 

